Foods To Eat and To Avoid

>> Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What food should we be eating to maintain and improve our health? What food should we avoid eating? Many of us continue to read and hear conflicting reports and confusing information about food. An interesting article provided by Prevention appeared as an aol health report.

The following seven foods to avoid eating may be familiar or surprising. Just keep an open mind and read all the way to the end of this article.

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6 Essential Facts About Tuberculosis

>> Tuesday, December 22, 2009

More than two million people or a third of all world men come down with "Mycobacterium tuberculosis," a bacterium that causes tuberculosis. It is known that tuberculosis is the seventh causes of death in the world. That disease kills 1,77 million people in 2007 and 1,8 million people all over the world in 2009.

Reuters say that tuberculosis is also one of the diseases that deals with poverty, instead of AIDS and malaria. The followings are 6 essential facts about tuberculosis:

1. Tuberculosis spread easily through air. When infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, or spits, he gets the bacteria out. Just a little bacterium is already able to spread. One person becomes the new infected person of tuberculosis every second.

2. Almost all spreading of tuberculosis are hidden because its carriers do not show its indication and they are not infected. However, one of 10 people will come down with this disease along the time because of the weakness of his immune system.

3. From 1,8 million of death in 2008 or 4.930 death in a day, a half million of them are AIDS patients. Most tuberculosis usually attack young men that are in their most productive time and most of the deaths happen in developing countries. More than half of deaths happen in Asia, like Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Philippine.

4. The World Bank estimates that the disease can lose 4-7% of gross domestic income of some countries that come down with.

5. Tuberculosis that is incurable is usually caused by medicinal treatment by halves and it often happens to patients that stop their treatments when they feel better.

6. The most dangerous tuberculosis is incurable tuberculosis that anti-isoniazid and rifampicin, the strongest anti-tuberculosis medicines. And, this kind of tuberculosis seldom happens in the world. Between 35% and 50% patients of this kind of tuberculosis die.

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What Aromatherapy Newbies Should Know

>> Wednesday, December 16, 2009

One of the most common services in various health centers and spas today is aromatherapy. This is because people believe that the process can help heal not only physical pains but also other conditions that are bought by too much stress and tension.


For those who fell in love with aromatherapy and would like to get into it through regular practice or as a viable business venture there are so many things that should be paid attention to. The first thing is the overall understanding about the practice including its history, its types, the supplies being used, means of application, current trends as well as the future market for it.

On Aromatherapy As A Means Of Healing

Aromatherapy has a long and rich tradition when it comes to alternative healing. It dates back to the early civilizations and spread out across the globe. In fact, through the years it has undergone drastic changes in terms of application and the practice itself. Here are some things that you should know about aromatherapy as a means of healing:


- Aromatherapy should not be used as an official treatment to serious kinds of illnesses that needs medical attention.

- It should not be substituted to medical processes that physicians advise any patient. - People with medical condition such pregnant women and those with epilepsy should not into aromatherapy too much because it may cause adverse effects.

- Aromatherapy only aims to provide as alternative healing through relaxation not as a major treatment for serious conditions.

On Buying Aromatherapy Products

Because of so many products that are available on the market, buying tips are very important for people who are new to aromatherapy because they can avoid committing mistakes. Newbies should be very careful in buying aromatherapy products so as to avoid possible accidents in using the wrong ones. The following are some of the important things they should bear in mind when buying aromatherapy products:


- Don't buy anything that you see. When shopping for aromatherapy products, be very specific about what you are looking for. Always check the labels and make sure that they contain pure essential oils.


- Be particular about the packaging. For essential oils, always buy those that are placed in colored bottles to ensure that the efficacy of the content has not been damaged.


- For aromatherapy purposes, don't buy products that have the word "scented," "perfume" or "fragrance" on the label. For essential oils and other aromatherapy products such as candles and bath or body products, it is very important that these contain pure oils from plant extracts to ensure they have therapeutic value.

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How To Make Quitting Smoking Easy

>> Sunday, December 6, 2009

There's no doubt that quitting smoking can be one of the most daunting challenges you'll ever face, but you may be surprised to know that it doesn't exactly have to be torturous, either. There are plenty of aids that can help you quit smoking with less discomfort, like nicotine replacement products, hypnosis and more.

But one of the most powerful techniques is already in your possession, whether you know it or not! This technique is one that you already use every single day of your life. You use it when you're sick, when you're feeling great, and when you're working through challenges. It can make all the difference between success and failure, no matter what you're doing at the time.

What is this technique? Self-talk.

Don't dismiss it - when you really think about it, self-talk is truly powerful.

Have you ever accidentally talked yourself into being sick? Perhaps you woke up with a slight headache, then spent the morning telling everyone that you didn't feel good and by the end of the day you were not only suffering from a much worse headache but also body aches and other symptoms? On the other hand, perhaps you can remember experiences where you talked yourself into being well too.

Using self-talk to help yourself through the stages of quitting smoking is not only simple, it works! Your thoughts have immense power to shape your perception of everything that happens to you.

What do you think would happen if you quit smoking and then complained mentally about it the whole time? "This sucks. I want to smoke, but I can't. It's not fair that other people can smoke but I can't. I'm so sick of these cravings already, how am I going to make it through a few more weeks like this? I can't do this. Maybe I should wait until I'm less stressed..." On and on it goes - and before you know it, you've talked yourself into smoking again!

On the other hand, you can use this same type of self-talk to HELP yourself through your quit.

Here's how to do it:

When you wake up on your first day as a non-smoker, you're likely to experience some feelings of anxiety. You might have thoughts like, "Oh, that's right, I've quit smoking. Man, I really want to smoke. Maybe I should quit tomorrow instead..." As soon as you become aware that you are thinking thoughts like this, immediately turn it around. Say with confidence, "Today is going to be a GREAT day! I have officially quit smoking and I feel better already. (take a deep breath) It's so good to be able to breathe again, and it's going to get even better as I go along!"

Throughout the day, periodically say things like this to yourself: "I'm doing really GOOD at this! Not smoking is actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I've had a few cravings, but nothing that I can't handle. I can handle anything if I really set my mind to it. I'm so proud of myself."

When you do experience cravings, simply talk yourself through them. "Okay, I'm having a craving. It's just a feeling and it will pass. Having a craving doesn't mean I have to do anything about it. If I just ignore it, it will go away on its own. I'm okay. This is manageable, I can handle it."

These are just examples of some positive self-talk that you can use, but feel free to improvise. You could also be a little more aggressive, like this: "I refuse to give in to your call, nicotine! You will not beat me. I'm stronger than you are, and I'm proving it every time I refuse to smoke."

The important thing is to avoid using negative self-talk because it will simply push you back toward the desire to smoke again. If you catch yourself thinking or speaking negatively, turn it right around and affirm how great you feel, how strong you are, and so on. In no time at all, you'll really start to believe it.

As the old saying goes, "You are what you think."

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What To Eat After Working Out

>> Thursday, December 3, 2009

The post workout nutrition is a long researched topic in the fitness industry. Everybody is wondering about what they should eat to get in shape and stay that way. Most of the studies are showing that carbs and proteins combined help the formation of muscle in the body.

These studies have been so relevant that it is hard to find a fitness trainer that does not advocate for this combination. Most of the people drink this type of shake a few minutes after the workout.

But let’s pull back from this rule and see if it is really the best method to follow. I agree with the concept of post-workout nutrition. It has its purposes and advantages. This nutrition is helping you to build muscles and gain some weight. The shakes are great because the body will not store them as fat.

You will see, after the workout, how the muscles are depleted and how they need replenishment. But let’s not forget about the main goal: losing fat.

Do you actually think that it is a great idea to have a sugary shake after training, when the goal is to lose the body fat? Is the shake going to help you burn that fat? I do not think so. I have seen from my own practice how this can be very counter productive when the purpose is to lose weight.

At the same time, you will say that the studies can not lie. It is true. But these studies were not conducted on people that wanted to lose body fat. They were tried on those people who just wanted to grow some muscles and had less if no body fat. From my own experience I have seen that not using the high carbs shakes after workouts is paying off and people get great results easily.

But what do you do after the workout? If you are not having a shake, what should you have? What is the proper after-workout meal? The answer is simple: solid meat. You must consume meat within 1 hour after the workout. Try to remember that natural, solid food will always help you be in shape and not some chemicals full of sugar. Save your money on buying expensive shakes that do nothing for your body. Instead, eat meat after the workout and you will quickly be able to see the results. Good luck with your exercises!Do you want to achieve sexy ripped abs?

Original Article By Christian Stan from articlepick.com

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How Much Caffeine is Ok?

Are you a coffee lover?
If you are, read this article, it will bring you a whole new perspective about your cup of coffee, or anything that contain caffeine.

Did you know that worldwide, 120,000 tons of caffeine is consumed each year? That's the equivalent of one caffeine-containing beverage per day for each of the 5 billion plus inhabitants of planet earth.

Welcome to the most
widely consumed psycho-active substance in the world.

Humans have been using this drug since the Stone Age. Our early ancestors elevated their moods, stimulated their awareness and eased fatigue by chewing the bark, leaves or seeds of certain plants.

Today we big monkeys may have refined our tastes but are not much different. We consume caffeine in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, some soft drinks, and even some drugs. But how much do we really know about the substance whose consumption is rivalled only by water?

Caffeine is found in varying amounts in the fruit, leaves, and beans of over 60 plants. In the plant world, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide that paralyses and kills some insects that try and feed on these plants.

But the word itself comes from the French term for coffee, café. Your typical morning latte can contain an upwards of 200g of caffeine. A cup of tea averages around 70mg, soft drinks anywhere from 10 to 50mg per beverage, and an average 28g serving of milk chocolate contains about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

Studies have shown that a complete tolerance to the subjective effects of caffeine can be seen to develop after consuming 300mg of caffeine 3 times per day for 18 days, and sometimes even earlier.

Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes but its effects can be felt after around 15 minutes. And just what are these effects? Well, caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant.

Because of the norepinephrine released in the brain after ingestion, caffeine increases respiration, strengthens the pulse, raises blood pressure, stimulates the kidneys, temporarily relieves fatigue, and excites the brain, improving mental function.

Caffeine and its related substance theobromine (from tea and cocoa) are like sugar in their effects on the body. They stimulate the adrenal glands to release an adrenaline-like substance, which causes the liver to release sugar into the blood stream.

This is what gives you the lift you feel from drinking caffeinated beverages.

Just like alcohol and nicotine, caffeine readily crosses the blood brain barrier. There in the brain it also constricts cerebral blood vessels. If you're used to drinking a few cups of coffee a day but decide to give it a rest, those blood vessels will dilate, leaving you with one hell of a headache, one of the best known withdrawal symptoms.

Other symptoms can include irritability, an inability to concentrate, and even stomach aches.

These feelings can appear within 12 to 24 hours if no caffeine has crossed your lips, peak at approximately 48 hours and last from one to five days.

It takes the body an average of 7 to 9 hours to process the caffeine in one cup of coffee. Women, however, metabolise caffeine about 25% faster than men unless they are taking oral contraceptives or are ovulating which then increases the time to 10 to 20 hours!

So, in my view 1-2 cups a day won't cause you too much harm, but the benefits you'll achieve by using caffeine only when you need it will far surpass your daily psychological reliance on those cups of coffee.

Article By : Brett Smith


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Five Tasty, Anti-Aging Snacks

>> Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Despite the very fact that snacking makes such an important part of our daily life, most of the modern snacks widely available in the market are not good for health. If you are serious about your health and if you dont want to grow older fast, this is the time you must start taking great care about what you eat. Following is a list of five time-tested anti-aging snacks that are not only healthy for your body but are tasty as well. The information below will help you understand how these simple snacks can keep you young and healthy for a long time.

Seeds And Nuts
Seeds and nuts can make great
snacks for a healthy rhythm in life. They are rich in special type of amino acid called arginine, which is very useful for your heart as well as your circulatory system. Seeds and nuts are good sources for omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E also, which can very helpful in slowing down the aging process. So, if you are looking for some tasty anti-aging snacks, you have an array of choices available that include flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, and many other common seeds and nuts. For better results, you are strongly recommended to use fresh unprocessed ingredients. Mix them up thoroughly and enjoy.

Berries Yummy
If you are looking out for a sweet option, look no further than berries. Theres an old saying that
foods that are naturally colorful are very good for health modern science approves this old saying. Berries make a good source for antioxidants and bioflavinoids. There are different types of berries that can be a part of your snacks, but blueberries are probably the best as long as you are looking for something that could keep you healthy and young.

Apples

You must have heard it millions of times right since your childhood an apple a day keeps the doctor away. So, it will be a nice idea to eat apples as part of your anti-aging snacks. But, you do not necessarily have to settle for just an apple you can have two, three, ..ten. Dont worry, they wont make you overweight. In fact, apples will keep your cholesterol down. Various medical research and studies have shown that those who eat more than five apples a week they enjoy a very healthy life throughout their lives. Apples are also rich in pectin, which reduces the risk of colon cancer and improves lung function.

Apricots
Apricots are unfortunately the most overlooked summer fruit, but if you make them a part of your anti-aging snacks, you will be surprised to experience its wonderful benefits. You must have heard about the long-lived Hunza people of the Himalayas? Apricots are their staple food.

Avocado
Avocado can be very healthy for your immune system, as they are rich in glutathione (an antioxidant). In fact, they are also very useful for healthy hair and nails.Overall, if you want to live long and prosper, make sure you are
eating the right anti-aging snacks.


Original Article By : Allen Caller from articlesnatch.com

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